Aziz Ansari

Zach Busby

QUOTE OF THE SPECIAL- “You realize how much better the world would if we all just treated each other the way black people treat magicians?”

The first time I saw this South Carolina sensation was during an episode of Flight of the Conchords where he played a racist, yet loveable, fruit stand owner. Although he denied fruit to Bret and Jemaine, he allowed us into his hilarious mind and gave us a reason to be optimistic about the future of stand-up comedy. Most well known for his voice-only role in the box office smash hit “What’s Your Number?” Ansari has managed to parlay that into a role on a television program that most people don’t know about: Parks and Recreation. He plays the annoying, yet loveable, character Tom Haverford. Despite his relative success on the program, the comedian is still in touch with his roots: stand-up comedy.

But before we get to his roots, let’s talk about the roots of those roots: comedy. Ansari was a part of a sketch comedy television program called Human Giant. It was such a great show that it was surprising that MTV wanted to keep it on the air. And if you know about MTV, I’m sorry. The show was the result of three comedic geniuses (Aziz, Rob Huebel, and Paul Scheer) coming together making quality TV for a network that had no idea what quality was. Since then, all he has done is rise in popularity, and in doing so, he has made the fan base for one of the greatest arts grow larger. Now let’s talk about those roots.

Way before Parks & Rec was even a thing; Ansari was making waves as an upcoming stand-up comedian and was seen as a prodigy. Focusing on his life experiences as his resources for his rich material, he has managed to become one of the most unique stand-up comedians in the world today. His new special, Buried Alive, is my favorite Ansari special to date. He manages to walk a tightrope with the taboo and makes situations that audiences usually don’t want to hear about into quotable anecdotes. Everybody and their mother (or mothers if your family practices Polygamy) has access to a Netflix account, so do yourselves a favor and watch Buried Alive tonight. Then wake up tomorrow, skip all your classes, and watch it again.